Akatsuki, my love
by Gaara Sempai
Summary: "Naruto, there were three great pains in my life. The first was the death of my parents. The second was the death of one of my only friends- Yahiko." Nagato paused and stared down at his hands as if they were alien objects growing on his body. "The third was the death of my beloved wife- and not being able to save her as she died in my arms." - NagatoxOC, character death, some OOC
1. Chapter 1

**Hi. I'm back. **

**I've been working on this fic for a while. Excuse my lack of writing skills, thanks. And the somewhat OOC-ness. **

**So..**. **Puffy clouds...**

**I hope you like this, you probably won't, but I can hope, can't I?**

**Reviews are highly appreciated, but it's your choice. It's not like I can force you to review. **

**Before we begin, I'd like to mention at this beginning point in the story, Nagato is 35 years old (though at the exact point in the manga he tells his story he's only 32) and at the beginning of the flashback that is this story, he's ten.**

**I've got it T for character death and like, sadness. And also mild romance. There won't be any sex in this. **

**Read on then...**

* * *

Akatsuki, my love.

"Naruto, there were three great pains in my life. The first was the death of my parents. The second was the death of one of my only friends- Yahiko." Nagato paused and stared down at his hands as if they were alien objects growing on his body. "The third was the death of my beloved wife- and not being able to save her as she died in my arms."

Naruto stood still before tue man that had destroyed his home and killed his comrades, only then forgetting his rage and realizing they weren't that much different. They had both suffered immensely.

"In exchange for the return of your comrade's lives, I want you to listen to the story I am about to tell." Nagato began to reminisce. "Even now, four years since her death, I remember just how beautiful she always was."

* * *

-Story start-

"Konan? Who are they?" Yahiko, a young, skinny orange-haired boy, stepped into view from behind several boxes settled in the orange-ish tinted cave.

"They were dying." the girl with the blue, well-kept coiffure whispered sheepishly as Yahiko turned to evaluate Konan's new recruit.

"Cripes, a dog too?" Yahiko asked as he approached the young boy. "What's your name?"

"Chibi..." the pale redhead whispered quietly.

"That's your name? It's kinda weird." Yahiko responded, walking back over to yet another of the many stacked wooden boxes that rested in the mountainside cave, continuing on his previous task.

"No, Chibi's the dog." The small, fragile looking boy bent down and picked up the small, beige animal. "My name is Nagato."

"Well, I gotta ask my sister if you can stay. She's kinda the boss around here." Yahiko turned to face the back of the stone cave. Chibi leapt out of Nagato's arms to wander around the stone cave a little bit.

"Hey Akatsuki! Wake up!" he cupped his hands in an 'O' shape around his mouth.

For about five minutes, nothing happened, making Nagato wonder if this Yahiko boy was making up this sister of his.

"Akatsuk-!"

There was a loud crash and an explosion of wooden box debris, as well as about twenty red apples, following the awkward silence after Yahiko's call, which scared Chibi to the point he took a flying leap into Nagato's pale arms.

Shortly after the unexpected explosion of flying box pieces and fruits, the dust cleared, leaving a blonde pre-teenage girl, maybe two years older than him, about their age standing in the center.

"What do you need, Yahiko?" she stared menacingly at the orange haired boy whom squeaked in fright, high tailing it behind Konan. "And who the hell put the apple bucket there?"

"Konan brought a visitor!" he yelped, ducking his head behind the blue haired girl once again when Akatsuki threw a rather large apple with amazing precision at his skull.

"Yahiko, my foolish brother, don't you think this could've waited till I woke up?" The blonde sighed, exasperated and obviously exhausted.

"I'm sorry, sister." he whimpered, rubbing the back of his head, laughing timidly.

"Well... I'm up for now. What's your name, kiddo?"

"The dog's Chibi and the boy is Nagato." Yahiko stood next to his sister, apparently trying to act cool to impress the new boy.

"I asked him, didn't I?" the blonde glared at Yahiko and the much shorter boy backed away, somewhat fearing for his life.

"Well, we haven't been formally introduced, Nagato. My name is Akatsuki, this knucklehead here is my little brother, Yahiko and the girl with the blue hair is Konan." Akatsuki explained. "Although, I'm sure you already knew that."

Nagato noted she was cautious; watching his every move very closely. This girl was serious, getting her point across very bluntly with no tolerance for Yahiko's tomfoolery.

"Thank you for allowing us to stay with you three." Nagato bowed respectfully to the three other children, putting his dog down on the ground once more.

"Our only rule is that you help contribute to the collection." Akatsuki smiled at the boy's stunned reaction, as though he'd expecte to be rejected.

"You... steal?" he squeaked, understanding exactly what the blonde meant by the devious gleam in her cerulean eyes.

"There's no system in this poor nation to help war orphans like us, I woulda thought you'd have figured that out, Nagato." Yahiko sighed, leaning against the cold, stone wall. "I mean even the sky cries all the time, it's got to be bad if the sky cries."

"Now, I'll be returning to my room. Yahiko, you'll look after Nagato till he gets settled. Konan, would you be so kind as watch the dog?" Akatsuki glared once again at her brother as she stepped over box debris and apples, retreating to the wall of boxes.

One box in the large, unorganized stack had a handle attached to it, which the blonde pulled up upon and dissapeared inside.

"Alright, I guess I'll give you your orientation now." Yahiko grinned, seeing Nagato's priceless reaction to Akatsuki's sudden dissapearance.

"First off, Farmer's Markets are on Wednesdays. The markets that strictly sell fruits and vegetables are on Saturdays and Sundays. Those are our collection days, though we can't do it often 'cause eventually those damn farmers will figure out when we're coming." Yahiko explained to Nagato.

'_This group is very organized... If it hadn't been for Konan..._' Nagato thought to himself, completely tuning out what Yahiko was telling him.

"You understand?" Yahiko finished with his orientation, turning back to face the redhead.

"Huh?" Nagato immediately brought his attention to the frustrated tangerine-haired boy now towering over him.

"Go to bed, we're hittin' the market tommorow, you'll need sleep." Yahiko yawned and stretched, opening another box. "This is your bedroom, small, but it's yours. Akatsuki's on your right, Konan's on your left. If you have an issue, wake Konan. She's more sympathetic than my sister."

"Thank you very much." Nagato bowed again.

"No need to be so formal, I'll fill you in on the plan in the morning. And Nagato-"

The redhead looked up at the taller, older boy once again, watching as he walked over to the stone lantern that hung alone on the wall, illuminating the entire cave.

"My sister's not a complete bitch, she just believes a lot in tough love. Give her some time, the last newcomer before Konan broke her trust and-"

There was a loud pounding noise from Akatsuki's side of the box wall, and Yahiko shrieked and jumped behind a box nearby Nagato, waiting for some sort of projectile to be thrown at his head.

"Well..." Yahiko wiped the dust off of his chest and knees. "That's a story for another time. But that's was why she didn't stick around longer. Just give her time."

Yahiko blew out the lantern, crawling slowly into the confines of his darkened crate, falling asleep inside.

* * *

A loud rapping noise on the side of his crate woke Nagato very early the next morning.

He groaned once and rolled over onto his other side, clutching his pillow in his grasp, not wanting to wake up just yet.

"Nagato! Wake up!" the continuous rapping on the side of his crate increased in volume, making the boy shoot into a seated position, his head crashing into the ceiling of his little bedroom.

"Akatsuki and Konan are waiting outside, we're collecting supplies today, remember?" Yahiko's bright and cheerful face appeared outside Nagato's box again in the early morning.

"You're working with Akatsuki today, me and Konan agreed it's for the good of both of you." Yahiko stared at him with such intensity Nagato knew that Akatsuki would be his partner for that day, even if she was afraid to trust him.

"You two will start a conversation with the peach vendor, lookin' like you're a buyer. Distract him long enough for me to grab peaches from behind him, 'kay?" Yahiko clarified with the newest member, who just nodded in confirmation. "Then you'll point me out, when the guy turns around, stuff your bag and high tail it outta there."

"What about Konan...?" he inquired quietly, a worried expression plastered onto his face.

"You don't have to look so worried, someone has to watch the base while we're gone!"

"It sounds like a plan then..." he murmured quietly, beginning to walk out of the cave alongside his new tangerine haired friend.

"Nagato, you'll be coming with me." Akatsuki announced, standing up from where she was seated on a rather large grey rock, breaking the awkward silence that captivated the group. The rain pattered along the ground, however it was pretty light for the time of year. Usually there would be major flooding.

"Yahiko, you've got a bag?"

"Yeah, it's right here."

"Put something in it, we gotta look like we have money. Get another one."

"Yeah, okay."

Yahiko retreated quickly into the back of the cave, now a greyish color due to the lack of lanterns alight inside, grabbing another burlap sack and several apples, shoving them into the bag.

"We're ready, let's go." Akatsuki strted down the hill with Nagato and Yahiko in tow.

* * *

"Yahiko, stay alert." Akatsuki whispered to her little brother. "Something seems... off."

"I was getting the same vibe..." Yahiko murmured, grabbing his brown sack firmly in hand.

"Break off now, we'll go soon, I'll make sure Nagato here understands."

"Got it."

Nagato was standing still, staring over the edge of the rocky hill. He was lost in the moment, just staring at the dark clouds.

"Hey! Nagato!" Yahiko snapped his fingers, waving his hand in front of the redhead's face.

"Huh? What?" he jumped, pbviously startled.

"Do you understand what's going down here today?" Akatsuki stepped into the conversation as Yahiko high-tailed it down the hillside to get into position.

"Yes, Yahiko said that we will act like we're going to buy, then point out he's stealing. When the vendor is distracted, we'll shovel peaches into the sack and run."

"Good, Konan picked you well, kiddo!" Akatsuki grinned, slapping the redhead on the back in an affectionate way.

Nagato smiled a little, finally glad that Akatsuki had accepted him into their little group.

"Let's go."

"Right!"

* * *

'_The market's very quiet today..._' Akatsuki thought to herself, guiding Nagato along. Her hair had been tied back, already saturated from the downpour. The sack of fruit had been slung over her shoulder.

Nagato stared at the battle-worn looking shinobi that glared him down as he looked past. Nobody moved except their eyes. Their beady little eyes followed the two pre-teens as the walked down the street. The redhead gulped rather loudly.

"Nagato, don't make eye contact with them." Akatsuki whispered in the young boy's ear, tilting his head so that he wouldn't stare at the rugged mercenaries anymore.

"Good morning, sir." Akatsuki smiled warmly at the mustached peach vendor. His shack was well built; just like the many other little shops in the small market.

"Hngh." the man growled, standing up from his stool. The rain continued to beat down on the ground and tin roofing of this particular shack. The never ending rain...

"How much will this get me?" Akatsuki slammed a few ryo down onto the table, giving the man some time to count the money.

Nagato watched intently as a flash of carrot orange hair shot up from behind the stand, shoving fruit into the bag.

"Excuse me, sir!" Akatsuki pointed frantically to the back of the cart. "Thief!"

"What? A thief?" he growled, grabbing the dagger he had strapped around his waist.

"Nagato, run!" Akatsuki shoved Nagato aside as she shoved more peaches into her own bag, bolting in his direction.

"Do not let her escape!" the vendor screamed at the top of his lungs as the shinobi from before staggered into view.

All of a sudden, the blonde girl's face turned deathly pale.

"They knew."

* * *

"That kid looks unfamiliar... he must be a new recruit." one of the scarred higher-ranking rain ninja commented to his buddy.

"He sure does, boss." the genin beside him commented, snickering.

"I'll give you back the fruit. Just let us go." Akatsuki tried to negotiate with the only jounin.

"No, you must suffer the consequences of your actions!"

"Nagato! Run!" she shoved the stunned boy out of an opening between two of the many shinobi. Of course, Nagato had no idea what was going on, and did as he was told.

"Get him!" the jounin ordered all three of his suboordinates to follow Nagato, and without the slightest hesitation, they did.

The rain pouring down the hill didn't exactly help in Nagato's escape efforts, however, he managed to evade the attacks of the Genin shinobi on his tail and catch up to Yahiko.

"Don't lead them home!" Yahiko shouted to the redhead. He was frightened, no doubt.

"We have to split up!" Yahiko shouted over the thundering rain. They weren't too far from the village now, the village was a very dangerous place now with all the fighting.

Nagato split off from his tangerine haired companion, running uphill once more in the mud. He stumbled about, tripping several times on the unstable ground.

Very suddenly, a hand reached up from the ground and wrapped around his leg, forcing him down into the ground.

Nagato gasped for air, lifting his face from the soft earth, struggling to claw his way up the hill. He was still very malnourished and weak from the long time he hadn't had any food.

"Darn... it..." he whispered, as an entire body emerged from the ground.

"Pay for your actions!" the voice of the jounin shinobi laughed loudly, flipping the boy onto his back with an uncaring kick.

'_And I thought things were going to be better... now that I had a home...'_ Nagato thought to himself, closing his eyes as the ninja drew his swords, preparing to bring them down into the center of his chest.

The sound of a blade piercing flesh echoed through the air, but Nagato felt no pain, he felt no blade. He slowly, hesitantly opened his eyes; stunned.

"Nagato, run!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Before you read this next chapter- if you want to- I'm going to clear some stuff up.**

**I won't be doing new stories. I'm just uploading, finishing and editing previously started stories so I can get rid of them- I need to clear off my computer and I don't want the work I put into these however long ago to go to waste. That might include posting brand new ones, but I won't be starting anything fresh.**

**So here it is.**

**Also noting I've just obliterated Chibi from the story because I've decided I just can't kill off a dog :(**

**Enjoy.**

**If you care to.**

**p.s my characters are kinda OOC**

**-Gaara Sempai**

* * *

"Nagato, get out of here!" Akatsuki was nudging him with her foot, he sat there, frozen, in shock. "Just get out!"

It took Nagato a few seconds to realize what had happened. Akatsuki had stopped a blade intended for him with just one hand.

"Did you hear me, Nagato? Run! I can handle this!" she shouted at him as she forced the katana out of her jounin opponent's hands, struggling to grip the blade in her crimson stained hands. "Yahiko, take him and go find Konan!"

"Nagato, you heard her, come on!" Yahiko held out a held to help the young boy out of the mud. Where he had come from Nagato still had no idea.

"But- but-" he stammered, being dragged away by his wrist.

"You heard my sister, she'll be fine." Yahiko said, but his eyes were all confident.

Looking back, Nagato could see Akatsuki had defeated their opponents with ease, all except for one, the jounin.

"Konan!" Yahiko yelled into the cave. "Konan where are you?!"

"I'm right here." Came her apathetic reply. She was leaning up against the wall munching intently on an apple.

"Prepare the bandage kit, Akatsuki's been badly hurt." Yahiko ordered, peeling off his dampened clothes, pulling on dry ones.

"Where is she?"

"Back there."

"You left an injured girl alone?!" Konan growled, her eyes dissaproving.

"She told us to get going." Yahiko shuddered at the glare.

"You should have stayed!"

"Konan, can you patch me up?" Akatsuki croaked, barely standing at the entrance to the cave as lightning flashed and thunder boomed. Her hands and arms were bleeding all over and her leg was badly burned from some kind of fire style jutsu. How she had made it all the way up the mountain was unfathomable.

"Dear Kami." Konan gasped, rushing to Akatsuki's side, shooting Yahiko an 'I told you this would happen!' glare.

"Don't worry about me, just bandage me up and I'll go to bed." She gasped between words, as though breathing was painfully.

The wounds on her hands were oozing clear fluid all over the place, a fast spreading infection from the blade she had taken in Nagato's place.

While not a medical professional, Konan had an extensive knowledge of how the human body works and how to treat most wounds, these were no exception.

"Yahiko, you're going to go with Nagato to get me some of this." a piece of paper unfolded from her skin, a picture of a strange looking plant.

"Ah-lo?" Yahiko questioned, reading the writing on the page.

"Yeah, aloe. For treating burns. This one is very severe, we'll need it after I do some healing. A lot of healing." Konan moved back and Yahiko finally saw the extent of her burns. The skin was blistered and red, charted bits of skins were flaking off and not without pain. She bit her bottom lip got prevent from crying out as Konan analyzed the wound.

"Don't you dare worry about me." Akatsuki breathed out the words, strongly disliking all the attention. She was obviously in pain, it especially showed when Konan had to prop up her burned legs.

"Nagato, you know what aloe looks like, don't you?" Konan shouted over her shoulder. Yahiko was paralyzed by fear, having gotten a good look at the extent of his sister's injuries.

"Yeah." he whispered, tone slightly unsure. "When will you need it?"

"Immediately. You'll find up at the mountain spring when you return." Konan nodded to Yahiko, whom slipped one of his sister's arms around his shoulder, Konan, the other. "Stay awake, Akatsuki."

"There's a patch right at the base of the mountain in an old woman's yard. Don't let her see you, Nagato, and watch for her dog." Konan stood Akatsuki up and had her limp along on one leg up the mountain.

"Don't you dare worry about me." Akatsuki repeated, limping along with the two as Nagato scaled the cliff to get the aloe.

'Damn it, I told you all not to worry...' the injured blonde silently cursed, still hopping along, every step shooting pain up to her spine.

"Come on, Akatsuki, we're almost there."

Nagato carefully slid down the cliff to the old woman's home. He leapt the high fence with ease, landing in the garden without making a sound.

"Aloe.. aloe... aloe.." he didn't know which plant to pick, so he took a bit of everything that matched Konan's description.

'It's a green plant with a lot of leaves.'

Without incident, he filled his wicker basket with too many different kinds of plants to count.

Before he knew what hit him, a massive blur of black fur lunged forward and sunk it's teeth into the bony flesh of his calf.

"Shit!" he screamed, trying to knock it off. "Let me go!" he kicked and flailed, to no use.

"I said, let go!" he growled, his purple eyes glowing in rage. The creature hunkered back and fell to the ground, no match for a painfully powerful genjutsu. Whether it survived or not, right now he didn't care.

Only Akatsuki mattered.

Nagato trudged on, blood pouring from the fang holes on his leg.

'This is for Akatsuki... I owe her... Without her, I wouldn't be alive...'

"Akatsuki, how are you holding up?"

"Akatsuki, stay awake for me." Konan continually nudged her, preventing her from falling asleep as she and Yahiko lowered her charred leg into the cool stream.

"Konan..." She moaned softly.

"What is it, Akatsuki?"

"Don't... Let him feel guilty..."

Her face contracted sharply at the sudden relief the water provided from the intense burning of her wounds, but the contrast felt good and she soon relaxed. Konan cleaned and bandaged up her wounds successfully. Yahiko lifted her out of the river and carried her back to the campsite. She probably would never walk again- he and Konan both knew that way deep down. If an infection developed from her wounds she had sustained- which was highly likely- she wouldn't see the end of the week. Akatsuki had fallen asleep in his arms. Yahiko put her down on the worn, moth-eaten couch situated in the back of the cave. It was rarely used- but Akatsuki desperately wanted to sleep and they had to keep an eye on her.

Nagato returned shortly after Akatsuki had passed out on the couch. In her current state she looked so... Vulnerable. Konan took more water and cleaned the wound again, patting it dry gently with a cloth. Akatsuki was biting her pillow so hard, trying to look strong for her brother and friends. Her dedication was admirable.

"Akatsuki, you're lucky to have survived a burn as extensive as this." Konan gaped at the wound, only truly seeing the blistering, festering flesh for the first time.

"I'll be okay." She choked on her own words. "I'm just going to bed."

She sat up with considerable difficulty, struggling to get to her feet, but she immediately fell forward with a sickening gasp, and Nagato caught her in his arms.

"Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine, I just need to sleep." She whispered, no longer trying to struggle to her feet and just allowing Nagato to carry her back to the couch.

"Sleep, okay?" Yahiko begged of his sister, sitting down at the end of the worn out makeshift bed.

"Yeah." She murmured, squeezing the no-longer fluffy pillow to her chest.

"I'm calling a group meeting." Konan called softly so as not to wake Akatsuki.

Nagato and Yahiko gathered around the fire pit with stern looks on their faces.

"We won't be able to survive for much longer with Akatsuki incapacitated like this. We need to get professional help." Konan said gravely.

"This is a war ridden country, Konan. Where are we going to get help?" Yahiko rebutted.

"I don't know, but we need to do something."

"Konan is right." Nagato said. "I think we should pack what we can carry on our backs, take turns piggy-backing Akatsuki and keep going."

"Taking turns carrying her will make her feel like such a burden. I'll carry her the entire way." Yahiko offered, packing a bag with supplies. "We should set off tomorrow morning if we're going to set out at all."

"I agree." Nagato whispered, looking back at Akatsuki's sleeping form- she looked so pained. An infection was beginning to spread up her legs and the wounds oozed clear liquid. If she didn't receive medical attention soon she would die. All three of them knew that, they just didn't want to accept it. As she laid there Akatsuki grew visibly worse- all three of them could see it. Worst of all, Nagato felt entirely guilty. If he hadn't been so... so useless it would be him dead or suffering there on the sofa- not her. Her jaw appeared to be rigidly locked in place coupled with bizarre hand spasms. She appeared so miserable.

"We can't wait until tomorrow. She needs treatment now." Konan said, looking over at Akatsuki, but then at Nagato. He too was tensed up... Except he was crying. Sobbing, even, but doing so silently.

"Nagato, you are not to blame, she took that blade fully knowing what might happen, and she doesn't blame you even a little bit." Konan whispered, patting him on the back.

He looked, surprised. Yahiko already had Akatsuki on his back and he handed off bags of supplies to the other two members.

"Guys, let's go, we have some ground to cover." Yahiko said, a determined fire in his eyes.

With that, the four orphans set off for the stormy horizon without looking back.

* * *

**I hope it was good. Sorry about the long wait to get it ouI, if you care, between writer's block and lack of motivation and interest, it was a mess.**

**Rate & review :)**

**Gaara Sempai**


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